Assig-noe



" 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

s. M. STEVENS.

i MACHINE `POE, TWISTING BARBED FENCE WIRE.

No. 272,095. Patented Peb.13,1883.

2 Sheets-SheetV 2. s. M; STEVENS.

MACHINE EORTWISTINGEAEBED EENGE WIEE.

Patented Feb; 13, 188B;`

jvefow NZ PETERS. Fhulwuthugnpmr. wanhingeqn. D C.

, lUNITED STATES PATENT @Fulci-3.

SIDNEY M. STEVENS, CFDEKALB, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGN- MENTS, TO WASHBURN 85 MCEN MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF CESTER, MASSACHUSETTS, AND ISAAC L. ELLWOOD, CF DE KALB, ILJL.

MACHINE FOR TWISTING BARBED.FENCEWIRE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 272,095, dated Februaryxl, 1883.

Application filed July 25, 1879.

To all whom zt may concern `Be it known that I, SIDNEY M. STEVENS, of De Kalb, in thecounty of De Kalb and State of Illinois, have invented certain Improvements in Machines for Twisting Barbed Fence-Wire, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanyiugdrawings, forming a part thereof.

In said drawings, Figures 1,2, and3 are reio spectively plan, side, and end views of a niachine embodying my present invention. Fig. 4 is a central longitudinal vertical section. Fig. 5 is a cross-section through the bearing at the rear end. Figs. 6 and 7 are perpsective i 5 views of opposite sides of the spool-carrier. As the invention has reference only to the mechanism for twisting the strand-wires between the barbs and for spooling the barbed and twisted wire, and not to themechanisni zo for applying the barbs to the strand-wires,

which may be of any ordinary or suitable` construction, the former mechanism only is illustrated. i i a In the drawings, A represents the gear- 2 5 wheel whereby the twisting-frame is operated.

It-is mounted uponthe hollow journal b, supporting one end of 'the twisting-frame B B', which has also a hollow journal, b', atthe other end. Both journals revolve in appro- 3o priate bearings, C. The frame upon the side B has a number of iiuted or skeleton rollerguides, b2, attached, which conduct the wire in the manner shown in Fig. l to the spool, the first one of these rollers being exactly at `3,5 the mouthof the opening in the journal b,

through which the wire is fed from the barbing mechanism. Skeleton or luted rollers are used in order that the wire or fencing may be guided without interferencefrom the barbs,

4o and they are arranged at intervals along a sinuous or undulatory line, so that the wire is carried along withoutr being obliged to turn sharp corners. i

. B2 is a cross-bar extending from side toside of the frame, and holding rigidly the end of a right and left threaded screw D, whereon works back and forth the spool-carrier D.

lhis spool-carrier has at one side a sleeve, d,

riding upon the exterior of the screw D, and

adapted for insertion through holes in the 5o heads of spool S, also lugs d d', which hold the head of the spool S and rotate the same, also a sharp point or knife, d2, which enters the wood of the head and holds the same when it has been inserted between the lugs, 35 such point being upon a shaft, d3, operated by a crank-handle, d4. The outer end of the sleeve d is squared iuteriorly, as at to receive and operate a square bar, E, passing through a sleeve, e, inserted in the journal b. 6o This bar bears upon its end a round pin, e', which enters the end of the screw D, and thus forms a continuation of said screw. The center line of this rod and ofthe screw is also the centerline of the twisting-frame, and it will be seen that when the spool is placed upon the sleeve with its head secured to the carrier,

as already described, itwill rotate with the frame without throwing the same out of balance, and also that it will not disturb the bal- 7o ance of the latter when it does not revolve.

`The rod E, which revolves with the twister- 'frame and. spool, is adapted to slide in the journal b', so that it may bewithdrawn for the removal or replacement of the spool from the holder without removing the latter from the `twister-frame. During the twisting and spooliu g operations a pin, y, inserted through a hole in the rod, prevents its accidental displacement. In its travel back and forth one 8o end of the carrier D slides on the rod E.

To secure the proper tension in winding the wire, a friction-brake consisting of shoes or clamping-pieces F F, held` to theirI work by bandsff, which are strained by a weighted lever, j", pivoted at f2, is applied to a pulley, f3, upon the outer end of the sleeve c.

l have thus described all of the machine except the automatic devices for shifting the spool back and forth. These devices consist 9o of rigl. and left nut-sections H H, held to the sp oolcarrier, and engaging the screw D alternately, together with devices for throwing them into and out ofsuch engagement. The sections are inserted' in a sliding' head, h, hav- 95 ing slots, wherein `are placed pins h", to guide and hold it to the carrier. At either end of the head h is an elbow-lever, h2, the part h3 of which is an L-shaped spring, these levers being pivoted to the carrier and moving the head to and fro. Spring-latches h4 are also secured to the carrier, and the projecting parts of the spring-arms of the elbows extend over these latches, and they are intended to compress and release the latches alternately. In Fig. 6 one is shown as compressing one latch and the other as lying in the notch ofthe other latch, leaving the latter comparatively free. The latches and spring-arms' are changed from one lposition to the other by stops 1I and t" upon the frame, with which they come in contact, one latch and arm with one,andthe other latch and arm with the other, alternately. Thus when the spool has been carried to the end of the screw next to the bar B2 the stop strikes the inclined end of one ot' the latches and crowds it inward, so that the spring-arm of the elbowlever is left outside the notch in the latch.' It then detains the spring-arm -until the latter has passed down to the center of the latch, when the arm, by reason of its-changed position, becomes free from contact with it. This movement ofthe elbow-arm shifts the nut-bearing head from one side to the other, taking one nut-section out of engagement and putting the other into engagement with the screw, and reversing the movement of the spool. At the same time the other latch and spring-arm, which, when the contact with the stop commenced, were in the same positibn in which such contact has just left thearm and latch directly acted upon bythe stop, are put into the position rst described-that is, with the arm within the notch ofthe latch-by the operation of the elbow-levers and head, and the parts remain in this position until the spool has been carried to the other end ofthe screw, at which time the stop t" acts upon the lastmentioned arm and latch in the same manner.

It is sometimes desirable to stop the spooling when the spool is intermediate between the ends of its reciprocating path and push it back to the crossfbar B2, and it is always necessary that the spool should be close up to the cross-bar when the rod or shaft E is taken out preparatory to removing the spool. To permit this sliding of the spool and carrier upon the screw it is only necessary to disengage both nut-sections H H, which can be done by putting the spring-arms in a position intermediate between the one shown ih Fig. 6 and its reverse. It will be understood that the spool and carrier are rotated by the wire which is being wound, and that if no Wire is being wound the spool will not rotate, unless it be by friction. A

In operation there will be instants of time when the spool will be detained from turning with the frame by the brake, and at such times the detention will be in order that the spool may take up any slack which may exist in the wire. This, however, is scarcely preceptible when the machine is operated at areasonable speed, both frame and spool then seeming to move together. The brake also compensates for the increase in diameter of the spool as it is tilled. g

In order that the wire may be fed along in undulating lines and all sharp turns be avoided, I construct the frame with a twist, as shown in the drawings. This permits me to place the last roller around which the wire passes, and from which it is delivered vdirectly to the spool, in such a position, with its axis oblique to the radius ofthe spool, that it needs no change, as it delivers the wire equally as well to the empty as to the full spool.

The main feature of my invention can be used in rendering oil' plain wire and twisting it preparatory to barbing by placing the spool Afrom each other, as shown in Figs. 6 and 7.

- I identify the spool Which is shown in the drawings by the letter S.

I claim- 1. The combination, with a twister-frame, spool, means for supporting the spool, and a brake for` regulating or controlling thetension exerted on the wire wound onthe spool, of guides arranged, as set forth, to guide barbed fence-wire to the spool, substantially as described.

2. [Ehe combination of the rotary twisterframe having a hollow journal, the spool mounted in said frame with its axis coincident with the axis of the twister-frame, and the series of fluted or skeleton guide-rollers arranged in a sinuous or undulating line from the mouth of said hollow journal to a point opposite the side of the spool, substantially as described.

3. The combination, with the twister-frame, spool-holder, and means for securing a spool on said holder, of a rod journaled and supported, as explained, so as to revolve with the spool-holder, and adapted to slide in its bearing so as to allow the removal of the spool from its holder and the replacement of it thereon Without removing the holder from the twister-frame, substantially as described.

4. The combination ofthe twister-frame, the screw tixed thereto, the rod adapted to form a continuation of said screw or to be removed by sliding in its bearing, and the spool-holder sliding on said rod and connected with said screw by a nut, 'substantially as described.

5. The spool-holder comprising, in combination with the main portion or body of the holder, the sleeve, the lugs, the knife, the shaft of said knife, and the lever for operating it, substantially as described. L,

6. The combination, with the twister-frame,

IOO

IOS

IIO

spoolholderand the stops on the twisterframe, ot' the divided nut and operating mechanism carried bythe spool-holder for shifting said nut by engagement with said stops, substantiall y as described. i

7. The combination, with the twister-frame and screw fixed thereto, of the spoolholder, the rod connected, as explained, with said spoolholder, so as to revolve with it, but adapted to allow the spool-holder to slide thereon, the brake applied to the said rod, and the connection between the spool-holder and the screw. substantially as described.

8. The combination, with a twister-frame,` of a spool-holder provided with a sleeve for receiving the spool, and mounted in said frame with its axis coincident with that of the twistenframe, and means, as set forth, for securing the spool on the holder, so as to permit it to be securedon and removed from the said zo holder without removing the latter from the twister-frame, substantially as described.

9. The combination ot' the frame B, provided wth the hollow journals b b', and roller-guides b2, with the screw D, sleeve d. carz 5 Iier-body provided with lugs d d', knife or point d2, shaft cl3, handle d4, bar E, provided with pin e', sleeve e, clamp F F, bands ff, vweighted lever-f', and devices for connecting the said parts, substantially as specified.

SIDNEY M. STEVENS.

Witnesses:

H. M. MUNDAY, EDW. S. EvAR'rs. 

